The Rose Guard Chronicles
by Webdog177
Summary: In another time and place, they were the Student Council of Lillian Academy. Now, when the Yamayurikai, otherwise known as the Rose Guard, were called on to hunt down and catch a defector, what was supposed to be a simple reclamation and detention quickly escalated to what would later be called 'The War of the Roses' [Two-part teaser. Ensemble cast. Medieval AU]


Disclaimer: I do not own Maria-sama Ga Miteru. And as we see here… that's probably for everyone's benefit.

A/N: You all hate me. I know. This is a plot bunny that just wouldn't stop hopping around in my head until I gave it a carrot. A few of you have conversed with me about an RPG Yumi-harem fic, and this is 'sort of' what stemmed from that. In actuality, this idea came from a culmination of other fandoms, games and an anime or two.

As mentioned above, this is a teaser for a future fic I will 'possibly' do. I haven't done this time-centered theme before, so it'll be interesting to see the reception this gets. There will be two parts to this teaser; the first will take place during a very early part of the story, and will serve as an introduction to the setting and characters, and to see if people are interesting in reading more. The second part will take place much later in the story and… well…

You all know how I love me some 'M' rated content. That'll be posted in a few days when I finish editing it. So… warning for that.

Enjoy!

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 **The Rose Guard Chronicles**

 **Pilot – Part 1**

0 – 0 – 0

"Ne… Rei… are we there yet?"

"No, Yoshino. We are no closer than the last time you asked. Ten minutes ago." Rei grunted from her perch on the rock outcropping the entire group had decided to sit and catch their breath at. As it was, Rei herself was the only one visibly unaffected by their rapid pace. Everyone else in their party had eventually succumbed to varied degrees of fatigue since they had started on their way that morning, even the usually stoic and ever-pleasant Shimako.

As Yoshino turned on the taller girl to add something to her diatribe, Rei held up a leather-gloved hand, cutting her off in mind-breath. "As well as the previous time you asked that of me, another ten minutes before that. And ten minutes before _that_. If you are so bored as to pester me, then you may call upon the others to do so." She then settled her gaze on the younger girl, her sandy eyes set in a flat stare. "Or, better yet, you can go ahead and join Touko to see how father it is."

Yoshino stiffened, flicking her eyes to Yumi, who sat in a crouch just a few paces away. The girl looked up and blinked at her Soeur's mention, tilting her head to the side curiously. Her light brown hair fell across her face loosely with the action.

"Um…" Yoshino finally muttered, turning away from the petite Freelancer to watch the horizon. The sun hung high in the late afternoon hour, and the heat from midday was finally starting to dissipate. "That's alright. I would think that Touko prefers to scout alone."

What Yoshino was _not_ going to say – at least in front of Yumi – was that she found Touko, in her dark coloured tunic and breeches, her hair tied into tight curls at the side of her head, and her dark eyes ever moving as if always looking for danger… well… just a little bit queer. She would not exactly say Touko was frightening, or unnerving, but Yoshino definitely wouldn't have chosen Touko to be her Soeur, let alone get along with her as well as Yumi did.

But, then again, Yumi could get along with everyone.

Yoshino huffed loudly, crossing her arms and flipping around so she sat on the rocks underneath her. When Rei had all but accosted her the day before yesterday, all but demanding that she prepare herself for an extended mission as part of the Rose Guard, she would have never thought it would have been something like _this._

Granted, it was well within Rei's rights as Yoshino's Soeur to ask anything of her, including accompany her on missions as part of the Rose Guard. Being the woman's cousin aside… as Rosa Foetida en Bouton, one could say it was actually Yoshino's duty to include herself on missions such as these. Diplomatic entourages, search and rescue, even some of the more unsavory tasks, like target elimination – otherwise known as assassination, to the more loose-lipped of those that discussed such things – and bribery. The Rose Guard was usually the group that was tapped to perform these. So, Yoshino wasn't truly surprised that Rei had sought her out for this trip.

But, to locate and detain a defector… and from the _Rose Guard_ herself…

Her attention… one would say…. was piqued.

"It is a little odd for Touko to take so long…"

Yoshink blinked and turned back to Yumi, who sat on a stone, her short sword resting on her thighs. It was still in its scabbard, and therefore unthreatening, but years of training with a sword had ingrained some measure of apprehension in Yoshino whenever a blade of any kind was in sight. She couldn't help the nervous twitch of her hand as it fell to the longsword strapped to her hip.

Rei, being a master Swordswoman in her own right, had the same level of wariness behind her eyes, but seemed to stifle the same nervous tick as if she was completely unaffected. Yumi, even if she wasn't a fellow Rose, was their friend, and deserved their trust.

Then again if trust wasn't an issue, why they were even out there in the first place?

"You think she was detained somehow?" Rei asked Yumi, shifting her longsword as she stepped closer to Yumi, crouching down slightly to make is easier for the smaller girl to talk to her.

Yumi narrowed her eyes at the ground, shaking her head slowly. "Touko never gave me reason to doubt her skills before." She paused, considering her words. "No… more likely she found something, and is making sure she brings back as much information as she can." Then, smiling brightly, she lifted her head to her companions. "That is just how she is."

"Very well." Rei said, standing again. "Then we wait for Touko's return. Shimako?"

Turning to the final pair in their party, Yoshino watched as the aforementioned girl finish her quiet conversation with her own Soeur, and then turn to address them. Her light, chestnut-colored hair fell down in waves past her shoulders, and her cream-colored robes only served to accent the ever pleasant expression on her face. Her silvery eyes, usually so serene and placid, were a very unsettling shade of stormy grey, a tantamount to the seriousness of the mission they were undertaking.

At her shoulder, wearing an equally off-white robe, but her dark, straight hair a clear contrast to her Soeur's, Noriko was doing her best to remain stoic as the older priestess. As the youngest member of their party – save for Touko – is was all she could do to keep up and still remain useful. Luckily her skills as a warrior priestess were rare, and therefore highly sought after. On the other hand, Shimako preferred to stay the course of priestess during her studies in the Mystical Arts. Rather despising conflict in general, Shimako made a conscious effort to concentrate on Healing and assisting her comrades, rather than combat. Noriko, as Shimako's Soeur, held no such reservations. The large war bow slung across her back was just evidence as such.

"That seems fine. We would do well to rest a while." Shimako said, locking her eyes with Rei. All in the space of a moment, the two women seemed to have a conversation simply through their eyes, and then the priestess nodded. "Our quarry thrives at night, and it behooves us to try and track her thusly." She quirked her head to her side, gesturing to the warrior priestess at her shoulder. "Noriko suggested for us to make camp and prepare for the rest of our journey tomorrow."

Yoshino nodded, already liking where this was headed. As a younger woman, she had always been on the weak side due to an issue with her heart. Three years of sword and endurance training after she had finally gone to a healer for her heart had done wonders… but she still wasn't up to her cousin's level.

She likely never would be.

"Sounds good to me." Yoshino said gratefully, ignoring the flat stare coming her way from Rei. Unstrapping her long sword from her belt, she stretched and made to find a comfortable place to set herself down on the rocks, when Yumi's sudden call startled her.

"Touko! We were starting to wonder…"

Blinking rapidly, Yoshink whirled around, holding her sword out – still sheathed – as though expecting an attack—

Only to see the girl herself, all hooded and dark clothing, all but two paces away from her. How the Gods had Touko gotten that close without her knowing?

 _Damned Rogues…_

Flicking her eyes to the sword in Yoshino's hand, Touko waited patiently for the swordswoman to lower her guard, and then nodded in recognition as she passed into the circle of women.

"Rose Foetida. Rosa Foetida en Bouton." She murmured softly as she passed Rei and Yoshino. She turned her attention to Shimako and Noriko, nodding to them as she did the others. "Rosa Gigantea. Noriko."

"Welcome back, Touko." Noriko said pleasantly. It took only a moment for Yoshino to remember that the two girls were friends in the academy, and distantly she wondered that if both Noriko _and_ Yumi liked the Rogue… then maybe Touko herself wasn't the problem.

"Onee-sama." Touko finally said demurely, standing before Yumi. The Freelancer grinned, righting herself and reached out to embrace the girl. Touko accepted the gesture wordlessly, and when she was released, turned her attention on the two Roses.

"I apologize for my delay. I will give you my report now, if it pleases you."

Rei and Shimako exchanged another wordless glance, and then Rei nodded.

"Speak, then." She simply said.

Dipping her head slightly, Touko pursed her lips in concentration. "Perhaps the most important piece of information first. I have located the manor. It is about one hours' march to the west, towards the sun." She gestured with her hand in the direction of the sunset.

"Well, that is good news." Yoshino said, if a little grumpily. That likely meant they would not be stopping for the night, if their goal was so close. Oh, well, the idea of sleep was nice while it had lasted.

Nodding, Touko continued. "That is the good news. The bad news is that she likely knows we approach. There were numerous traps and what looked to be sentries at likely points of entry into the area, and from what I saw, the defenses are only getting more fortified as time passes. There was only one small pass from which we can approach unnoticed."

Hissing softly between her teeth, Rei grimaced. "Which means that not only does she expect us to attack right away by making any later approach more and more difficult, she is also funneling us into where she wants by making only one way in unguarded."

"You suspect a trap." Shimako said. It wasn't a question.

Rei faced the Priestess, her face dark and thunderous. "Knowing what you know of her, wouldn't you?"

Shimako's lips twitched in displeasure, and nodded tightly. Noriko shifted slightly beside her, and stepped a little closer to her Soeur.

"Um… pardon my ignorance…" Yumi suddenly said, her hand raised as if she were in a classroom.

Rei shook her head. "Don't worry, Yumi. We are the ones that called you on this mission without knowing all the facts. It is only right that we answer any of your questions. What is it?"

Yumi flicked her eyes towards Touko, who watched her Soeur stoically. "I realize that we are hunting Rosa Chinensis, who defected from the Yamiyurikai suddenly and went rogue… but how is it that she has gathered followers?" She pursed her lips slightly. "I mean… shouldn't she be working alone?"

"She is working alone." Shimako said. "Rosa Chinensis always works alone. It is why she never found a Soeur, even after more than three years at Lillian Academy." Her lip curled slightly in an uncharacteristic display of anger. Yoshino sighed softly, really feeling for the older woman. The defection of her one time friend must be hitting her hard if she was this affected.

"But then… why does she have sentries?" Yumi asked, bewildered.

This time, it was Yoshino who spoke. "Maybe your Soeur can answer that."

Turning to the younger Rogue, Yumi tilted her head in question. "Touko?"

Touko grimaced, and flicked her nails against the hilt of a dagger on her belt in agitation. Yoshino watched the action warily, but chastised herself for it a moment later. Rogue or not, she was her friend's Soeur, and deserved the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't her fault Yoshino generally distrusted that particular class of fighter. She much preferred up close and personal swashbuckling than to the cloak-and-dagger stuff.

But, really, she could understand Touko's frustration and unwillingness to answer. Even if Yumi was her Soeur, Rosa Chinensis was particularly important to Touko.

Being family, however distant, will do that to you.

"She is not called the Ice Queen of Lillian for nothing, Onee-sama." Touko finally muttered darkly. "She is a Sorceress of the highest order, and specializes in Ice Magic. At her best, she can conjure guardians of Ice and Snow to defend herself. And her power extends to her physical prowess as well. There is a reason she usually works alone, even in suppression missions. She excels in both magic and combat equally."

"Oh." Yumi said softly, digesting that. She had to have heard, during her time at Lillian, at least a small taste of the power that was Rosa Chinensis. No one really knew the extent of her abilities, save for maybe Rei or Shimako, as her fellow Roses. But it seemed as though family was among those who were aware of her capabilities.

"What about you, Touko?" Yumi pressed.

As if sensing the meaning behind Yumi's question, Touko grunted, crossing her arms over her bust. "It seems talent of that degree stays within the main line, Onee-sama."

Ah. So, Rosa Chinensis' power was likely hereditary, Yoshino mused. That was unsurprising. She hadn't really heard about similar abilities during her time at Lillian, and often wondered at the origin of such abilities.

"Well, be that as it may," Rei finally said, touching the hilt of her long sword and shifting in her mail. "Due to Touko's diligence, we now know where our quarry is. If we move to attack now we stand the best chance."

"What?" Yoshino sputtered, shocked. "When she knows we're coming?"

Rei fixed her Soeur with a soft glare. "She knows we're coming regardless, and her defenses only grow with time."

"Shall we take the unguarded valley?" Touko asked. "If not, I can lead you to the least guarded pathway through the forest."

Shimako spoke from her spot at Noriko's shoulder. "Even Rosa Chinensis wouldn't expect us to take the simplest way. She likely left that way unguarded for a reason, and therefore would not be wise to traverse. We should take the least guarded route." She turned to Touko. "Please, lead us there as soon as you are able."

Straightening noticeably, Touko nodded. "I can leave right away."

At that, Yumi shot forward and plopped her hands directly on the younger woman's shoulders. Touko's eyes widened at the contact, and even Yoshino couldn't stop the chuckle that bubbled up from her throat at the Rogue's suddenly beleaguered expression.

"Touko, you are going nowhere until you sit yourself down and eat! As your Soeur, I command you."

Shifting her eyes from Yumi towards the Roses, and getting reluctant, if slightly indulgent nods, Touko finally acquiesced.

"Very well, Onee-sama. You are quite the taskmaster when you put your mind to it."

0 – 0 – 0

Finding a way through Rosa Chinensis' defenses had been fairly simple.

Between Rei and Yoshino's steady swords, Touko and Yumi's surprisingly efficient and nimble hit-and-run tactics, and Noriko's accuracy with her bow, it had taken only moments to break through Sahciko's conjured frozen guards – all of which took the form, curiously enough, of young women – and make their way to the front of the manor itself. Shimako followed the party at the rear, ready to assist in any healing or Holy Magic needed.

As they approached the manor, Rei and Yoshino led the way, their blades drawn and held at the ready. Touko and Yumi guarded their flanks, and Noriko kept her keen eyes on their surroundings, an arrow knocked and ready to fly. When they arrived at the main door they were unsurprised to find the door locked. A quick scout around the perimeter from Touko told them that there was no other usable entrance, and as such their only way inside was secure.

"Well… this was certainly a successful endeavor." Yoshink quipped lightly, tapping her light gauntlet on the large wooden door. She ignored Rei's heated glare, and shrugged. "Unless someone has a key, it looks like we just have to—"

 _Ka-chink._

Just as she spoke, as she tapped on the door a third time, the door opened with a heavy clink and slide. Yoshino blinked, too stunned to even move out of the way.

"Damn it all." She finally muttered as the others gathered in their usual formation.

The inside of the manor was dark. Dark and cold. It was as if someone stole all the warmth out of the air the further into the darkness they went. There were no torches, no lamps alight, and only the Light Magic from Shimako and Noriko to guide them as they traversed the long, cold hallways. As they walked, it became apparent that ice frosted the walls and doors, and even the floors, making footing as treacherous as it was finding safe doors to pry open. The manor hadn't been very large from the outside, but from the inside, and the breath-stealing chill that all but swept the very heat from their bones, it seemed like the largest and more unforgiving building any of them had ever been in.

Eventually, a smattering of light began to bleed into their vicinity from a larger room at the end of a long hallway, and as they approached it became apparent that the room itself was occupied. As they crossed the threshold as a party, with Rei and Yoshink in the lead, everyone gaped at what they saw.

It was as if the entire room was encased in a thin sheet of ice; the walls, the floors, the high arched ceiling and the staircase leading up to the second floor. The light they had seen as they entered didn't seem to be coming from anything in particular – it just seemed to be emanating from the walls itself in an eerie blue glow.

And the room was large; easily large enough to host a party of the highest opulence should one desired. And, considering the master of the house, who was currently standing at the very top of the stairs, her icy blue eyes fixed on them as they finally paused at the very center of the room, it seemed as though a party was least on her mind at the moment.

"Rosa Chinensis!" Rei called out, her eyes narrowed in determination. "We, the Rose Guard of Lillian, have come to you with a Writ of Apprehension. You are hereby charged with desertion, defection, and international espionage. Come with us peacefully, and we will not be forced to action."

Yoshino swallowed despite herself, her fingers tightening on their grip of her sword. From what she knew of Rosa Chinensis – and that was more than the average Lillian cadet, due to her relation to Rosa Foetida – she knew the Ice Queen never really liked to take orders. She just hoped this wouldn't end in a fight. She honestly wasn't sure how that would go.

The sneer that Rosa Chinensis sent their way was both chilly and unamused.

"How generous." She said flatly, her soft, aristocratic voice echoing around the room. She stepped forward, her flowing, ice blue dress shifting around her legs as she walked down the steps with measured ease. Her long, dark hair was loose, and fell down to her waist. She wore not armor, and bore no weapons. But Yoshino knew enough to not be caught off guard at the Sorceress's seemingly unarmed appearance. "And what, may I ask, will happen if I do not cooperate?"

This time, it was Shimako who answered, her voice thick with anger. "Should you not surrender, then in accordance with the Write of Execution – which we also have – we will be forced to put you to death." She pursed her lips and, for a moment, looked pained. "Please, Sachiko. Don't do this."

Yoshino swallowed as Rosa Chinensis… Sachiko… considered this. She finished her descent down the stairs and finally stopped only a handful of paces from them. From this distance, Yoshino had to admit the woman looked quite beautiful – if one were into the tall, dark and could kill you as soon as she looked at you thing – and it took effort to remind herself of why they were here.

Finally, Sachiko spoke, her voice even as though she were reciting an excerpt from a text. "I would ask that you do neither. I have harmed no innocence, and broken no laws save for desertion. You would do well not to dictate to me what I have done and not done."

Rei snarled fiercely, stepping forward and brandishing her blade towards Sachiko, who merely eyed the weapon as though it were a minor nuisance. "Sachiko, regardless of what you _think_ you have done, we have been charged to either bring you back to face trial, or to put you down if you resist. As a friend, please, do not make this harder than it already is."

At that, Sachiko seemed to bare her teeth and hiss. "What do you know of hardship? You, who do not even know the full extent of what it is you are trying to accomplish. You and Shimako, always following whatever the Order would have you do. They give us a Writ, or a Holy Order, and off we go on our new task, taking orders like some mongrel. Why do we do such things? For what purpose, other than because it is our 'Duty'?"

She shook her head, her entire countenance suddenly tired. "No. I will follow no such orders anymore. Please. Leave me be. This will be the last time I request such from you."

Yoshino flicked her eyes around her party, gauging their reactions. Both Shimako and Noriko, the younger having slipped an arrow from the quiver at her hip silently, wore matching expressions of grimness and resignation. Touko and Yumi, who had been silent up until this point, looked both nervous, and a little awed. Touko, Yoshino could understand; the younger Rogue likely knew much of Rosa Chinensis' abilities to not be so little humbled by her. Yumi, though…

Yoshino didn't know quite what to make of the odd look on her face. She just hoped Yumi's blade wouldn't falter when the time came.

Beside Yoshino, Rei muttered a soft curse through her teeth, and gripped her sword so tightly the leather grip creaked. "So be it." She said aloud, resolute. "I am sorry it had to be this way, Sachiko." Then, turning her head only slightly as to both address the others as well as keep Rosa Chinensis in her line of sight, she said, "We have our orders. Take her."

As Yoshino took a readying breath to steady herself, Sachiko seemed to sigh softly from her place at the bottom of the staircase. As she released her breath, the air seemed to get even colder.

"Very well, if you insist. Let it not be said that I did not warn you."

Rei was first to charge, her sword held high for an overhead swing. Yoshino knew Rei's strength in a fight was using her height for advantage, and her swing coming down on her opponent's head would normally strike even an inkling of doubt into the most stalwart of foes.

Sachiko didn't even blink.

With an almost negligible flick of her wrist, the air around her seemed to coalesce and freeze all in the space of a no time at all, forming a long, broad, ice-white blade. It whipped through the frigid air, seemingly commanded by nothing but the air itself, and met Rei's strike as if it were a child's swing at a training dummy. The woman tried to shift and parry, riposte and maneuverer around it, but the ice sword was too nimble and met her blow for blow, pushing her back into a corner.

Yoshino snarled, stepping forward to join her Soeur and cousin, when another wave of Sachiko's hand commanded the ice to snake along the ground and slide up her boots and leathers, freezing solid again around her legs, holding her in place as if she were a statue. She swore and was about to start hacking at the ice around her feet, when the rest of the fight caught her attention.

Yoshino almost yelped in shock as an arrow whistled by her ear, and _did_ gasp when a thin wall of ice seemed to snap to attention from the ground itself before Sachiko. The arrow collided with the ice, a sound _'thunk'_ emitting as the arrow lodged itself in the rock-hard frozen water, and then Sachiko turned her baleful gaze on the pair of Priestesses in the distance.

Without so much as a word, Rosa Chinensis lifted her hand and pointed towards the bow-wielding Rose Bouton. All around her, ice on the walls and floor seemed to melt into water, and then reform in the air in the shape of arrows; ice-white and razor sharp. With another flick of her wrist, the arrows loosed, again seemingly on their own, and past Yoshino, towards the Shimako and Noriko.

Dropping her bow, Noriko joined her Soeur in a rapid chant in the Holy Scriptures, and the air around them shimmered with Magic, bright lights forming around them with the intent to protect them from harm. It worked, as the frozen arrows collided with the Magic shielding the women, loud chimes emitting as each arrow hit the Holy Walls.

Though, Sachiko clearly wasn't going to give the Warrior Priestess another chance to fire another arrow. With another wave of her hand towards the women, her arrows, shattered from their collision with the protective magic, reformed in the air around them, snapping around in mid-air and colliding with Noriko and Shimako's shields. With the arrows continuously breaking, reforming, and whipping around their defenses, the pair of Priestesses were effectively out of the fight for the time being.

And then Sachiko turned her attention to the Rogue and Freelancer. "Ah… Touko." The Ice Queen drawled softly. "I wondered what they would have brought to try and convince me to return. But I never would have expected them to try to bribe me with you."

The Rogue pursed her lips, her face pinched in anger. Her short sword slid out of its sheath with a soft hiss and she readied the weapon. "I do not know what you are talking about, Rosa Chinensis. I did not come for you."

If anything, Sachiko's face grew amused. "Truly? Then why would you…" She trailed off, her attention finally turning towards Yumi for the first time. The Freelancer stiffened under the woman's gaze, her own blade in her hands in a practiced grip, though it trembled ever so slightly; in fear, nervousness, or uncertainty, Yoshino did not know.

"Ah… I see." Sachiko said at last. "You found a Soeur, Touko. I suppose congratulations are in order." She took a step towards the pair, and once she was within reach of Touko, the Rogue struck.

Sachiko barely stepped back as Touko slashed out with her sword, moving her feet and arms as though Touko were only dancing with her, instead of intending to kill. The flowing blue dress Sachiko wore swished and spun, its size and volume not seeming to bother her at all as she ducked and weaved under Touko's flashing blade. Finally, with a final impressive spin, Sachiko snapped out her leg in a powerful kick, connecting with Touko's side and sending the girl crashing into the ice-covered wall to the side.

Touko groaned softly, tried to push herself up, but then crumpled to the ground.

Yumi stood there, her blade held out before her as Sachiko stepped close. Her lips worked, and her eyes flicked from the woman, to Rei still battling the ice blade, to the Priestesses defending themselves from arrows, and finally to her Soeur, collapsed on the ground like a sack of vegetables.

She finally returned her attention to Rosa Chinensis, and her face was set in determination. "Rosa Chinensis, I will ask you again. Will you desist, and allow us to detain you? Or will you force us to put you down?"

If anything, Yoshino was impressed with how the woman kept her tone strong and steady in the face of the Ice Queen of Lillian.

"How cute." Sachiko said, her voice dry and somehow still regal. "Your party is vanquished, or otherwise occupied, and you are the only one still capable of putting up any semblance of a fight. You know you do not stand a chance against me, and yet you still feign as though you do. Why?"

Yoshino watched as Yumi swallowed, and stepped back into a fencing stance. The tip of her blade aimed directly as Sachiko's chest, barely a thread's width from the woman's bodice. Sachiko didn't even flinch from the near contact.

"Because it is what is right." Yumi finally said, her face set in determination. "I may not know what you did, or why you did it. But I was asked to help my friends. And you are hurting them. That is enough reason for me to fight you until I cannot."

Something in Sachiko's face finally twitched, and her lips quirked up into a small, pleased smile. "Very admirable." She said, tilting her head to the side. "It is not often one finds another with such qualities as those you show in the face of annihilation. As it happens, I find those qualities desirable."

That seemed to throw Yumi off, and her sword lowered almost unnoticeably. "Um… what?" She blinked, confused.

In a flash, Sachiko batted away the blade against her chest and stepped forward within Yumi's reach. She shot out her hands and grabbed one of the woman's arms, pulling the appendage towards her. With her other hand, and reached out and placed it directly on the Freelancer's chest, above her leather jerkin.

"Ah—" Yumi cried, jerking away to make for her blade – which has skittered away across the icy floor – but Rosa Chinensis' grip was tight on her arm. "What… what are you—"

 _"Under the watchful gaze of the Virgin Mary, and all those present…"_ Sachiko began to intone, her dark blue eyes piercing deeply into Yumi's as the younger woman stared, wide-eyed, at the sudden words.

 _"I call upon the Magicks of Old. To Bind those who will it together as family – as sisters – and as one."_

Yoshino felt her breath steal from her lungs. The cold, frigid air was already doing wonders for her ability to breathe, but the sudden and quite shocking turn Rosa Chinensis was taking was almost unheard of.

"Yoshino!" Rei snarled from her heated battle with the conjured ice blade. "Stop her!"

"I-I'm trying!" Yoshino called back, renewing her vigor to try and break the ice around her feet. As she worked, Sachiko's voice seemed to permeate the air, and the chilly atmosphere seemed to thrum around them with Old Magick.

 _"If you would wish it, join me in accepting this ritual most ancient, and I shall accept you as my own."_

Yoshino flicked her eyes over to Shimako and Noriko. The Priestesses seemed to have no idea what was going on, as their concentration was focused on keeping up their magical defensed from the never-ending onslaught of conjured arrows. Touko, on the other hand, had regained consciousness enough to stagger to one knee, her face a study in shock, anger, and fear.

"Onee-sama!" She called out, horrified at what was happening.

 _"As the Magick wills it, tell me your answer. Would you accept?"_

As Sachiko's part in the ritual ended, the Magick and power in the air seemed to shimmer and hold its breath, waiting for the chant to be completed. Yumi stood in the woman's grip, her face slack with shock. Her wide, brown eyes stared back at Sachiko's, flicking from her left eye to her right, searching for something in them. Eventually, she seemed to find what she was looking for, and she nodded.

"Yumi – No!" Yoshino screamed, her hand stretched out towards her friend in a desperate attempt to reach her.

"Onee-sama!" Touko joined in, her voice shrill with anguish.

Yumi sucked in a breath, and whispered, _"I accept your offer."_

The Magick in the room thrummed once, powerfully, and then dissipated, the frozen air in the room swirling around them all, cutting into their bodies and chilling them to the bone.

And then it was over. No more icy wind, no more Magick. There was no noise at all, save for Yumi's heavy breathing, left over from the Ritual that bound her fate together with the woman they had been sent to kill.

"Then it is done." Sachiko said, her tone resolute, yet pleased. "You are now Rosa Chinensis en Bouton. Let it be known to all present that Yumi Fukuzawa is now my apprentice, as is Touko Matsudaira. Maybe, with the right guidance, you can direct your righteous will in a better direction. The world may benefit from it."

And in the suddenly silent room, Yoshino finally succumbed to the power in the room from the trio of Red Roses, and her own fatigue, and her eyes slid shut, welcoming the cold darkness of oblivion.

0 – 0 – 0

 **End of Pilot -** **Part 1**

A/N: Ah, Yumi... no matter the time and setting... you are still obsessed with Sachiko. When will you learn? *Shrugs*

And there we have it. Now that you see how much I'm twisting canon, and making this AU, what do you all think? Would like like to see more? Do you hate it? What would you like to see more of? The setting and plot, characters and personalities, haven't been set in stone yet, and it is still a ways off (I haven't done much characterization/plot work to speak of), but I would like to know your thoughts on this idea.

Let me know if I should continue feeding the bunny, or release it into the wild.

The second part of the Teaser will likely be posted in a couple days, after I finish editing it.

Please comment/favorite/follow!

 _***Will work for Glomps***_


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